Norway's Leopard 2 tanks will be new 2A8 variant with active protection system
Norway has ordered 54 Leopard 2s with an option for 18 more. (Photo: Norwegian Armed Forces)
Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) has announced that Norway's tanks will be of the 2A8 standard, as will any planned German procurement of new-build Leopard 2s.
KMW and the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA) have agreed to align the specifications of the 54 new Leopard 2 MBTs contracted in March with those for Germany's planned procurement of the tank.,
Norwegian Leopard 2s will share all the characteristics of the redefined 2A8 variant and will be know as Leopard 2 A8 NOR.
Germany has introduced the 2A8 configuration for new production and it includes integration of the Trophy active protection system.
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The Leopard 2A8 NOR has some additional features compared to the German, such as the integrated Kongsberg ICS/CORTEX system which handles data transfer in the MBT and communication with other combat systems.
Norway's Leopards will be delivered between 2026 and 2031, and the contract is within the NOK19.7 billion ($1.9 billion) budget set by Norway's parliament, according to Shephard Defence Insight. An option has been built into the contract for a further 18 tanks.
Germany is estimated to have a demand for approximately 100 new-build Leopard 2s costing $3.4 billion. A contract award is expected in 2024, with deliveries from 2027 through 2032.
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